Arkas Art Center was founded in line with the desire of Lucien Arkas, Chairman of Arkas Holding, to share the Arkas Collection with art lovers.

Built in 1906 as one of the most beautiful buildings of its period in Izmir, the sea-facing section of the historic French Consulate building, which today serves as the Honorary Consulate of France, was allocated by the French Government to Arkas Holding for 20 years for cultural and artistic purposes. After a year of restoration work, the building was opened in November 2011 under the name Arkas Art Center.

The two-storey historic building, which has been transformed into a contemporary art center, has 10 exhibition rooms. Arkas Art Center is not only a historical building that has been brought to Izmir, but also the first art center where the works of many international artists and the collections of important museums and institutions are exhibited.

Arkas Art Center aims to contribute to the artistic and cultural life of Izmir in particular and our country in general, to share Izmir’s cultural identity with the international art scene, and to make everyone from seven to seventy love art.